First up,..
I hail from Iceland.
I don't know what it is exactly 'round here, but "most" folk don't seem as judgmental as those I keep hearing about from, well, everywhere else, and undeniably colours my responses.
(In other words, after this you'll all wish you lived here.)
Have you faced discrimination from healthcare professionals? What kind? What happened?
So far, no.
I have met some ignorance, but not in any form of hostility.
Those healthcare workers that I've met who are meeting their first transsexuals have apologized for their ignorance, asked questions in a "if you don't mind" and "no offense" manner, and made every effort on their part to get pronouns right (though the occasional slip-up does happen).
What would make a healthcare professional "trans friendly" to you?
The above really.
Meeting a transsexual as if they are human beings. Making an effort to treat them with dignity, even if the curiosity can sometimes get the upper hand. Things like that.
So far, I've found them friendly here.
Example; The head of the "women's" part of the local hospital, who did my hysterectomy, refers to me consistently in the male gender, using male pronouns all the way, calls me by my preferred name even if it hasn't been legally changed yet, and was very quick and "factual" doing the required checkups before hand, and offered me to skip the stirrups after, making me promise to come back if I ever thought I might possibly have any reason to be at all concerned for anything down there.
Would you consider going to a healthcare professional who is open to learning about trans issues, even if you feel that you have to educate them?
Well, I kind-of have to educate every professional I go to, what with being the first trans-person a lot of these folks meet, but I don't mind at all, as they are open minded, professional, and polite.
What are some questions you would ask a doctor to determine whether or not they would be trans friendly?
I honestly don't know. I introduce myself and explain my situation (I'm a trans-man, I'm going through the sex-correction-process*).
So far, no problem has come of this what so ever.
We are also planning on creating some educational materials or education programs for healthcare professionals regarding trans issues, what would you want healthcare professionals to know?
Basic information of what a trans-person is, what the process is, just so I wouldn't have to explain this every single time.
And for our foreign friends, a reminder of the simple fact that their personal beliefs aside, a trans-person is a human being, deserving of the same care and respect as anyone else. That there's no defense for treating someone with disrespect.
Transsexuals are parents, children, husbands and wives, lovers, etcetera, just like everyone else.
We're normal people who just happen to have to deal with a physical "unusualness".
Anything else?
I think this is a brilliant thing you're doing.
Hope it helps someone find the respect I can rely on over here.
*Yep, that's the accurate translation of what transition is called in Icelandic.
